UNUSUAL DELTA-5CIS FATTY-ACIDS IN SEED OILS OF CIMICIFUGA SPECIES

A range of unusual fatty acids a with cis-5-unsaturation had been repo rted in the seed oil of Caltha palustris. Seed oils of Cimicifuga spp, have now been found to contain the same unusual fatty acids as are pr esent in Caltha, plus several other minor fatty acids to give a more c omplex and more unsaturated seed oil fatty acid pattern. The gas chrom atographic fatty acid patterns found seem to he consistent and chemota xonomically significant, because essentially the same pattern was foun d in several species of the genus Cimicifuga. These findings may shed a new light on the relation of Cimicifuga to Caltha, and to other gene ra in the plant family Ranunculaceae. The situation is illustrated by capillary GLC seed oil fatty acid methyl ester ''fingerprints'' obtain ed from Cimicifuga and Caltha, and is discussed in relation to other g enera. The occurrence in nature of several of these unusual fatty acid s, and their chemotaxonomic significance is discussed. The close relat ion of GLC fatty acid patterns of Caltha and Cimicifuga could indicate monophyly and/or their belonging to the same tribe or subtribe. These observations are not in accordance with the phylogenetic systematic s chemes of the genera in this plant family as published by various auth ors.